A Message to Rudy Giuliani and His Supporters (VANITY)

Self | February 23, 2007 | Alberta's Child

[b9]

Hunter's having a huge fundraiser breakfast tomorrow morning in SD.
$250 per plate.

[WalterSkinner]

..did anyone see Ann Coulter on FNC refer to one Republican candidate as "the magnificent Duncan Hunter"?

[Glenn]

I'll do the courteous thing foryou and ping the Freeper you mentioned by name.

Thank you, Miss Manners. I hardly think is was necessary.

[don-o]

I did read yours.

If I were invited to dinner and the vegetables were Brussel sprouts and turnips, I would not eat the vegetables, because I do not like Brussel sprouts and turnips. I would not tell the host that I wanted mashed potatoes and green beans, because that is not what was on the menu. It would be rude.

However, the political process is different. Citizens are supposed to be allowed a voice in what is on the menu. Preliminary news is that they are planning to serve up candidates that I don't like. First step in getting someone I do like is to let them know that the planned menu is going to be a flop.

There is plenty of time to plan for a successful event.

[DocH]

He'll be fine and hold the respect of most Americans if he just remains true to who he is

That means he'll appeal to somewhere near half of the country.

Too bad he's running for REPUBLICAN president, since the "half" he will appeal to are largely in the LIBERAL BLUE STATES.

[daviddennis]

I agree that my message was a hodgepodge of issues, because I was responding to a hodgepodge of issues, and you are quite right to reply to only those that interest you.

I really love the idealism of the Statue of Liberty, which is effectively an invitation. "Bring us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free". I think of that as a great and grand value, perhaps America's greatest gift to the world.

So when you say illegals are not invited, you're replacing the noble words on the Statue of Liberty with a fence and an iron door slammed in people's faces. I prefer the older, more hospitable conception of America.

Besides, we have issued them another kind of invitation. We are hiring them to do work, and we're paying them, and that's effectively an invitation. You know that if we did not do this, they would not come.

I have a hard time really thinking of a country as "my home" to which I should restrict entry to people. After all, it's the home of many people I would not want to invite, if given the chance to not invite them. Would I rather have an illegal here or Al Sharpton, for example? Would I rather have an illegal here than a worker I regularly deal with, a native-born American citizen, whose fondest desire is to sleep all day?

And perhaps above all, I really hate the language many of the anti-illegal people use. "Invaders" "Cockroaches", etc, etc are only some of the names I've seen. And yet when I look at them, I just see poor people trying to make a living as best they can. It's really hard for me to feel negatively about that kind of spirit, particularly when many native born Americans, as you have noted, seem to be lazier and less enthusiastic about doing great things than ever

Perhaps I feel that the illegals live up the American spirit better than many of us do, and that makes me sad that so many of us yearn to push them out. To me, it just doesn't feel like the good thing to do.

D

[Jim Robinson]

I won't be supporting Rudy. He's waaay too liberal to be president. Does nor respect the constitution or our rights. He's toast.

[Glenn]

I won't be supporting Rudy.

Hooray, then.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid you'll get the chance to prove it, given the attitude and mindset of many.

[RinaseaofDs]

Your metaphor only works for dinner parties. And then only for small ones.

Campaigning to be Leader of the Free World requires enormous organizational and financial planning, and as such, it asks people to assume risk. People are asked to commit.

The only other conservatives that will get in at this point with the organizational or fund raising capability, even this far out, have to be either Governors or Gingrich, and may be General Franks. Rice or Powell, not interested.

Its amazing that Senators even bother. People can't stand them, and they don't have the executive experience that people are looking for in a President. Senators are much more followers than they are leaders. Leaders run for executive offices, retired lawyers run for representative office.

[Paperdoll]

GO DUNCAN HUNTER!!!!!

[Dat Mon]

Excellent post, and thanks for the ping.

Its nice to see someone think through and lay things out as you have done...this is the kind of FR stuff that puts this place on the notable political Internet sites...one that other analysts and commentators go to for 'raw material'.

Id like to add some more fuel to the fire. ;0)

Ive seen others such as dirtboy question Guiliani's 'judgment', and Spiff and Liz lay out Guilianis real record on abortion, most notably partial birth abortion, an act of brutality and barbarism that cannot, IMHO, be tolerated nor countenanced by an aware moral person.

There's a number of these valid questions...but let me take it one step further.

I question his psychology, and his character to be President....and this is coming from someone who was a big fan of Rudy back in 2000 when he initially ran against Hillary.

I dont question his ability to be....

An effective Federal prosecutor..he was one.

An effective mayor of the largest and most complex city in the US...he was one.

A successful business partner and leader...he apparently is one.

In fact...I dont question his leadership qualities per se, he wrote a book about it.

Let me also put aside, for arguments sake only, other specifics as to whether he is a liberal, the strict constructionist issue, 2nd amendment rights etc...what it comes down to ...for me...

I don't think he has that 'special skill set'; i.e, that peculiar combination of qualities of leadership, toughness, experience base, intelligence, AND...those personal and moral qualities that we need at this time, to lead this country through some potentially very tough times ahead.

I think a hard fought primary and general election campaign, whereby all of Rudy's dirty laundry gets aired, and where he has to perform and compete up against Duncan Hunter, Mitt Romney, and Newt, and then whomever the Dems nominate, will convince other people of this; enough, in fact, so as to make him unelectable.

Nobody's perfect in all categories (except perhaps Washington!), I could compromise in some areas if I absolutely have to..but I think basic character, integrity, and judgment issues are nonnegotiable for me.

An honest man can change his positions over time, happens all the time, a DISHONEST man WILL change his positions in time, (when it is required in order to get what he really wants), but a person cannot easily and readily change who they really are .

[joylyn]

I realize this. My point was that it's a relatively new issue many of us in the Northeast.

[don-o]

Can't disagree. General Franks...Hmmmmmm.

The Pubbies damn well better find somebody. Giuliani will lose in McGovernesque numbers.

[Lexinom]

Very, very eloquent piece, AB. I am sorry we have to have these divisions from time to time. I believe you speak for thousands of FReepers, myself included.

[metalurgist]

I really love the idealism of the Statue of Liberty, which is effectively an invitation. "Bring us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free". I think of that as a great and grand value, perhaps America's greatest gift to the world.

The American people never got to approve that statement. It was rammed through by some wealthy liberal socialite with too much time on her hands looking for a cause to justify her existence. Look it up.

[b9]

BUMP ~ wonderful post

[ZULU]

Considering the way most of the New Yorkers voted and the way they responded to Bush - I'd have to say reggrettably you are right. New York is almost a foreign city.

[Jim Robinson]

Here are some of the negatives we've learned about Rudy recently:

- pro abortion
- pro partial birth abortion
- pro taxpayer funded abortion
- pro taxpayer funded embryonic stem cell research
- pro gay unions (gay marriage)
- pro gay rights
- pro gay agenda
- pro gun control
- pro suing gun manufacturers
- pro illegal alien
- pro sanctuary cities
- pro environmentalism
- pro human caused fixable global warming (pro Kyoto?)
- pro McCain-Feingold - wants to close loopholes to make it stronger


Additional suspicions:

- experience as a government prosecutor makes him pro government
- fights crime by restricting rights
- says he's a problem fixer - suspect he'll use BIG government solutions
- suspect he's pro developer vs private property rights - eminent domain
- suspect he'll be eager to please his liberal friends, press et al (there goes the war)

[ConservaTexan]

AC- Great post, it did nothing but reinforce my opposition to Rudy for President. I am interested in which candidate, announced or not, you are supporting for the Republican nomination in '08. I currently am leaning toward Hunter; he seems to be the most conservative candidate out there, pending a decision from Newt. I would like to see a similar type post naming your 'best' candidate, as well as a list of the positive and negative baggage that candidate would bring to the primaries.

[merry10]

haven't been able to read all the messages yet. I guess it depends on what side you're on.